Vehicle seat, especially an aircraft passenger seat

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a vehicle seat, especially an aircraft passenger seat, with seat components such as the seat part, backrest and at least one console ( 10 ) which laterally borders the seat part, which forms an armrest, and which has a holder ( 12 ). In that in the holder ( 12 ) at least one display screen ( 14, 16 ) can be lowered in its rest position and can be moved by way of an adjustment part ( 18 ) out of the rest position into the position of use and vice versa, and in that in the position of use for a seat occupant what is displayed on the display screen can be viewed, the finctional possibilities are expanded to the extent that the console holder is used to store the display screen, by way of which a seat occupant can access information, whether in the form of a television program or movie, or in the form of computer displays.

The invention relates to a vehicle seat, especially an aircraft passenger seat, with seat components such as the seat part, backrest and at least one console which laterally borders the seat part, which forms an armrest, and which has a holder.

DE 101 32 282 A1 discloses a generic vehicle seat in the form of an aircraft passenger seat, with a console which forms an armrest, with a holder for a plate which is articulated to the console by way of an adjustment mechanism and which can be adjusted by the latter out of a rest position which is retracted in the console selectively into a separating element position which is moved upward out of the console and which extends the lateral boundary of the seat part upward, and out of the latter position into a horizontal position which forms a table surface. In passenger aircraft with rows of seats in which there are several seats next to one another, efforts have been underway to make available as much privacy as possible to passengers who are sitting next to one another, and the known possibility of moving a separating element out of the console between two seats located next to one another contributes significantly to achieving this object. The plate which has been moved upward out of the console forms a type of shielding of the seat area relative to the seat area of the passenger seat located next to it. The known solution does make it possible to use the plate not only as a separating element, but after transfer into the horizontal position, also as a table surface; in spite of this double use, however, other, different possible uses for the holder of the console have not been considered.

On the basis of this state of the art, the object of the invention therefore is to further improve a vehicle seat of the type under consideration such that it also makes possible other potential uses for a console holder located laterally next to the seat part. This object is attained by a vehicle seat with features specified in claim 1 in its entirety.

In that, as specified in the characterizing part of claim 1, at least one display screen can be lowered in a rest position in the holder of the console and can be moved by way of an adjustment part out of the rest position into the position of use and vice versa, and in that, in the position of use for a seat occupant, what is displayed on the display screen can be viewed, the operating possibilities are expanded to the extent that now the console holder is used to store the display screen, by way of which a seat occupant can access information, whether in the form of a television program or movie, or in the form of computer displays.

By preference, provision is made such that the adjustment part has a rod-like displacement part which, located on one longitudinal side of the display screen, is guided so as to be able to move in a longitudinal direction within the guide of the console. Furthermore, the adjustment part preferably in the area of the top end of the display screen has a first articulation point which allows at least one swiveling motion around the axis of the rod-like displacement part. The display screen thus can be swiveled in the direction of the seat occupant and the display screen can be adjusted in tilt relative to the seat occupant around another second articulation point.

In another preferred embodiment provision is made such that the rod-like displacement part has a height adjustment making it possible for the display screen to be fastened outside the console in a definable height range. In this way the display screen clearly can be adapted to the different body sizes of the seat occupant in terms of its adjustability.

Additional advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the other dependent claims.

The console-display screen system as claimed in the invention will now be detailed below with the aid of one embodiment as shown in the drawings.

Drawn in outline and not to scale,

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the console with two display screens, one in the extended position, one in the rest position;

FIG. 2 shows in the manner of an exploded drawing the articulation situation with respect to the left upper display screen edge as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 shows the part of a console 10 facing the viewer, as positioned as a middle console between two adjacent aircraft passenger seats (not shown). This console 10 is assembled preferably in the manner of a shell from metal sheets which border a rectangular holder 12 in the middle. Two display screens 14, 16 can be integrated in this holder 12 , the display screen 14 being shown in the extended position as shown in FIG. 1, and the display screen 16 being lowered completely into the holder 12 in its rest position. By way of the adjustment part 18 the respective display screen 14, 16 can be moved out of its rest position in the holder 12 into the position of use; this will be described in greater detail below. The respective adjustment part 18 has a rod-like displacement part 20, which, viewed in the direction of looking at FIG. 1, closes to the top in a bar-like extension and is continued toward the bottom as a rod. The pertinent displacement part 20 is positioned on one of the two longitudinal sides 22 of the respective display screen 14, 16. Furthermore, the displacement part 20 is guided so as to be able to move in the longitudinal direction within a guide 24 in the console 10. The indicated guide 24 of the console 10 consists essentially of a guide channel 26 designed in the manner of a perforated metal plate, which on the one hand closes the console 10 to the front in the direction of the front edge of the seat part (not shown), two lateral boundary surfaces 28 of the guide channel 26 overlapping the edge-side areas of the rod-like displacement part, to the extent directly assigned.

The indicated adjustment part 18 in the area of the top end of the display screen 14, 16 has a first articulation point 30 which allows at least one swiveling motion around the vertical axis of the rod-like displacement part 20. The pertinent first articulation point 30, as shown in FIG. 2, is formed by way of three pivoting bearings, which, held in a housing 32, permit the indicated swiveling motion. Thus, viewed in the direction of looking at FIG. 1, the display screen 14 in its raised position there can be swiveled out of the latter counterclockwise into a transverse position of use, in which the display screen 14 as part of the monitor housing extends parallel to the front boundary sheet of the guide channel 26 and accordingly transversely to the other display screen 16 in its rest position shown in FIG. 1.

In addition to the first articulation point 30, adjacent to the latter there is another second articulation point 34, which, integrated in the upper frame part of the display screen 14, permits further swiveling motion of the display screen 14 around an axis 36 transversely to the vertical axis of the rod-like displacement part 20. The respective articulation point 30, 34 has a stop boundary which is not detailed and which limits the possible swiveling motion of the respective display screen 14, 16 in order thus to facilitate obvious use. Moreover, the rod-like displacement part 20 in conjunction with the outside housing of the adjustment part 18 has a vertical adjustment (not shown), which makes it possible for the display screen 14, 16 to be fastened outside the console 10 in a definable range of heights. A raised display screen 14, 16 in the position of use can thus be adjusted in height in order to enable use by individuals of varied body size.

Each display screen 14, 16 is moreover provided with a supply cable 38 which is used for example to supply electric current, but it can also be used as an information-transmitting cable, and the pertinent supply cable 38 is guided flexibly within the console holder 12 such that it can follow the respective extension/retraction motion of the display screen 14, 16. As FIG. 2 furthermore shows, two display screens 14, 16 can be accommodated in the console 10, in the rest position within the console 10 the two display screens 14, 16 facing one another; this helps prevent damage to the sensitive surface. For an embodiment, which is not detailed, it is also possible to use the back of the display screen 14, 16 as a working surface, for example as a table surface.

The solution as claimed in the invention ensures that the display screen 14, 16 and/or the monitor is installed suspended on a support arm, formed from an adjustment part 18, the indicated articulation points 30, 34, and the top frame part of the respective display screen 14, 16. With this solution it is possible for the first time to use so-called 15 inch monitors as display screens 14, 16 on aircraft passenger seats in particular. By way of the indicated articulation points 30, 34 the mobility of the display screen 14, 16 is divided into two independently articulated degrees of freedom and the support arm is used at the same time as a cable guide and optionally for the necessary ventilation as the display screens 14, 16 generate heat. The principle as claimed in the invention, that is, the principle of a vertical pipe which is vertically and linearly guided, implements the relevant guidance by way of only one guideway which is used moreover as a structurally integrated component of the stiffening of the center console 10. A corresponding secondary guide on the side opposite the vertical pipe ensures efficient and precise positioning of the monitors in the VDU. This solution uses a minimum of components; this helps reduce weight on the one hand and cuts production costs on the other.

To the extent the application documents address a display screen 14, 16, findamentally a display screen-monitor which is enclosed by a display screen frame part is implied. The indicated adjustment parts for the display screens 14, 16 can also be extended in one development in a telescoping manner; triggering the extension/retraction movements would be possible by way of an exterior drive (not shown). 

1. Vehicle seat, especially an aircraft passenger seat, with seat components such as the seat part, backrest and at least one console (10) which laterally borders the seat part, which forms an armrest, and which has a holder (12), characterized in that in the holder (12) of the console (10) at least one display screen (14, 16) can be lowered in a rest position and can be moved by way of an adjustment part (18) out of the rest position into the position of use and vice versa, and that in the position of use for a seat occupant what is displayed on the display screen can be viewed.
 2. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjustment part (18) has a rod-like displacement part (20) which, located on one longitudinal side (22) of the display screen (14, 16), is guided so as to be able to move in the longitudinal direction within the guide (24) of the console (10).
 3. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guide (24) ofthe console (10) consists essentially of a guide channel (26), which, on the one hand closes the console (10) to the front in the direction of the front edge of the seat part, and wherein the lateral boundary surfaces (28) of the guide channel (26) overlap the edge-side areas of the rod-like displacement part (20).
 4. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the adjustment part (18) in the area ofthe top end of the display screen (14, 16) has a first articulation point (30) which allows at least one swiveling motion around the axis of the rod-shaped displacement part (20).
 5. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4, wherein adjacent to the first articulation point (30) there is another second articulation point (34) in the top edge of the display screen (14, 16) which allows a further swiveling motion of the display screen (14, 16) around an axis (36) transversely to the rod-like displacement part (20).
 6. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the respective articulation point (30, 34) has a stop boundary which limits the possible swiveling motion of the display screen (14, 16).
 7. The vehicle seat as claimed in one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the rod-like displacement part (20) has a height adjustment which makes it possible for the display screen (14, 16) to be fastened outside the console (10) in a definable height range.
 8. The vehicle seat as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, wherein each display screen (14, 16) is provided with a supply cable (38) which, designed to be flexible within the console holder (12) follows the respective extension/retraction motion of the display screen (14, 16).
 9. The vehicle seat as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, wherein two display screens (14, 16) can be accommodated in the console (10) and wherein in the rest position the two display screens (14, 16) face one another inside the console (10).
 10. The vehicle seat as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the back of the display screen (14, 16) forms a working surface in the form of a table surface. 